The EU court upheld fines for Microsoft

On Monday, the European Court of First Instance rejected the appeal of the American company Microsoft, which the European Commission fined for abuse of its dominant position in the computer programs market.

The decision of the European Commission was issued in 2004 and concerned the program to play the audio and video files Media Player, which is supplied along with the Windows operating system, the Air Force television company recalls.

The investigation of the executive body of the European Union concluded that manufacturers of other programs with a similar function are put in Microsoft in an unequal position. Among other things, Media Player connects to Microsoft servers, and there are no other manufacturers.

The European Commission demanded that Microsoft change this practice, provide competitors with the information necessary for the most complete compatibility of their product with Windows, and simultaneously release the version of the operating system without Media Player to the market.

In addition, the American giant was fined 497 million euros. Microsoft refused to pay, and since 2006, daily fines began to be charged in excess of this amount - at the moment they have run into 280.5 million euros.

Microsoft disputed in the EU courts both the output of the European Commission and the accrued fines. In her opinion, she used her position by law of innovative companies.

“There are companies that use the press, administrative procedures to conduct their interests and appeal to their interpretation of competitive law. However, I think that we interact with most companies quite well,” Dave Hayner, one of the senior Micosoft lawyers, said before the court.